Giulia Cenci
Upon entering the nearly empty room, one is confronted with a sharp, heavy, metal object, composed of fragments of agricultural tools and machines such as cars or scooters. This unexpected threat is immediately engaging and positions the viewer as the target. Composed primarily of obsolete tools that are remnants of inherent human technology that progresses, Giulia Cenci’s installation embodies the concept of rebirth in an artificially expanded body. The construction we see blends mechanical and organic elements, albeit cast in aluminum. Branches of healing plants sprout from metal bones and industrial machinery, with a human face modeled on the skeleton of this mechanical body. This emotionless mask serves as a future-proof prototype. It turns toward the audience, reminding us of the exhausted nature of human presence.
Moving towards the second part of the installation, the machine brings the viewer through a cage that opens into a corridor-like structure. Continuing with car parts, bones, and plants it forms a monstrous, timeless entity. This large object, devoid of any anatomical identity, evokes a creature that could be a dinosaur or something similarly ancient. The two parts that occupy opposite spaces are intimately connected: while the first part is an impenetrable object that confronts and distances the audience, the second immerses the viewers in an environment that surrounds them.
Displayed in Kyiv, the installation reflects on the context of the ongoing Russian war. The excessive violence of military actions is the primary cause of severe bodily harm inflicted on civilians and combatants, as well as the devastation of landscapes and various forms of life in Ukraine and beyond. The work examines healing and transformation through the use of artificial body parts, machines, and plants.
The artist invites viewers to envision an entity made of fragments of our world, whose power grows, devours its opponents, and battles endlessly with its surroundings and itself. While its hard elements confront the viewer with harsh reality, the installation also transcends its immediate context. It represents mental and physical landscapes shaped by interconnected species that determine their respective life cycles, both among the debris of the battlefield and in the humus of wild areas.
Upon entering the nearly empty room, one is confronted with a sharp, heavy, metal object, composed of fragments of agricultural tools and machines such as cars or scooters. This unexpected threat is immediately engaging and positions the viewer as the target. Composed primarily of obsolete tools that are remnants of inherent human technology that progresses, Giulia Cenci’s installation embodies the concept of rebirth in an artificially expanded body. The construction we see blends mechanical and organic elements, albeit cast in aluminum. Branches of healing plants sprout from metal bones and industrial machinery, with a human face modeled on the skeleton of this mechanical body. This emotionless mask serves as a future-proof prototype. It turns toward the audience, reminding us of the exhausted nature of human presence.
Moving towards the second part of the installation, the machine brings the viewer through a cage that opens into a corridor-like structure. Continuing with car parts, bones, and plants it forms a monstrous, timeless entity. This large object, devoid of any anatomical identity, evokes a creature that could be a dinosaur or something similarly ancient. The two parts that occupy opposite spaces are intimately connected: while the first part is an impenetrable object that confronts and distances the audience, the second immerses the viewers in an environment that surrounds them.
Displayed in Kyiv, the installation reflects on the context of the ongoing Russian war. The excessive violence of military actions is the primary cause of severe bodily harm inflicted on civilians and combatants, as well as the devastation of landscapes and various forms of life in Ukraine and beyond. The work examines healing and transformation through the use of artificial body parts, machines, and plants.
The artist invites viewers to envision an entity made of fragments of our world, whose power grows, devours its opponents, and battles endlessly with its surroundings and itself. While its hard elements confront the viewer with harsh reality, the installation also transcends its immediate context. It represents mental and physical landscapes shaped by interconnected species that determine their respective life cycles, both among the debris of the battlefield and in the humus of wild areas.
